Who We Are

• One of Canada’s largest environmental NGOs
• “To conserve and inspire the conservation of Canada’s wildlife and habitats for the use and enjoyment for all”
• Freshwater, marine, and terrestrial programs
• Science, education, and advocacy

National Fish Passage Program

Increased freshwater focus on connectivity and fish passage:

• Chinook salmon research in Upper Yukon River
• American eel research and advocacy
• Fish passage advocacy and barrier campaigns
• Development of the Canadian Aquatic Barriers Database
• Watershed Connectivity Remediation Planning framework

Canadian Aquatic Barriers Database

CABD Background

• Inspired by TNC, NAACC, and NCC among other groups
• CABD = central pillar of tools to support CWF’s fish passage program
• Uses and requirements extend beyond internal needs:
  • Freshwater connectivity research
  • Hydrological modelling
  • Infrastructure inventories

Stakeholder Engagement

• User requirements interviews
  • What type of work could the CABD support?
  • What are the key barrier types that should be included?
  • What information about individual barriers should be available?
  • How would users like to access the data?
• Working Group and Technical Advisory Committee
• Reciprocal data-sharing relationships

Use Types

1. Regulation, policy, and reporting
2. Restoration planning and prioritization
3. Infrastructure asset management
4. Research and monitoring
5. Education and public outreach

CABD Components

CABD Overview

• Open-source, standardized, central repository for small and large barriers
• Meet growing data requirements for connectivity research, barrier prioritization, and fish passage remediation across sectors
• Support Canada-wide collaboration on freshwater connectivity issues and share resources and information

CABD v1.0

• Manage data volume during developing and testing
• Initial release:
  • Dams (all sizes)
  • Waterfalls
  • Fishways (CANFISHPASS)
  • Hydrographic network
• Will add additional barrier types in future years (e.g., stream crossings)

Development Methods

• Develop hydro data processing tools → network analysis
• Phase 1: Compile and standardize existing datasets
• Phase 2: Identify and develop mechanisms to fill data gaps
  • Attributes
  • Barrier types
  • Geographic coverage
• Develop other tools
  • Standardized barrier assessment protocols
  • Citizen science app for barrier ID and assessment
  • Research collaborations

Barrier Data Processing

• Manual review:
  • Complile existing and acquirable datasets
  • Verify geolocation using imagery
  • Remove duplicates between and within datasets
  • Map attributes from multiple sources and searches

Hydro Data Processing

• Continue development of Common Hydrology Features (CHyF) tools and services
  • Open-source tools developed by NRCan
  • Flowpath and catchment tools
• Enforces topological relationships, flow directions, primary/secondary flowpaths
• Populate attributes (e.g., stream order)
• Will support web services to allow network analysis through web interface

Progress to Date

• Processed and standardized attributes for dam, waterfall, and fishway data
• Updates to CHyF processing tools
• CABD population with existing data types

Barrier Types

30,000+ 10,000+ 400+

Public Launch

• “Sneak peek” launch for eight pilot regions (early November)
  • Dams, waterfalls, fishways, and hydro networks
  • Explore attributes
  • View data sources
  • Download barrier data in .csv format
• Release remaining data province-by-province - summer 2022

Demo!

Next steps

Short-term:

• Begin to fill data gaps → many attributes empty
  • This includes input from practitioners and the public!
• Add data filter and download functionality
• Research partnerships to develop remote sensing/modelling tools to:
  • Identify barriers
  • Estimate passability

Filter and download functionality

Next Steps

Short-term:

• Review and synthesis of barrier assessment protocols
  • Modular approach to standardize but maintain flexibility across country, e.g., NAACC protocols
  • Engage with existing protocol developers/users
  • Series of regional workshops in winter/spring 2022 to receive input on protocol development

Next Steps

Short-term:

• CABD documentation to support users and applications:
  • Data dictionary
  • Tool tutorials
  • FAQs
  • API use
  • CHyF processing tools

Next Steps

Long-term:

• Compile and release stream-crossing data (2022 an beyond)
  • Test in pilot regions then expand
• Develop analysis and reporting tools accessible through interface
• Freshwater connectivity toolbox:
  • Resources, best practices, success stories
• Develop or adapt citizen science mobile app
  • Identify and assess barriers

Overview

• Developed and piloted in 4 watersheds in B.C.
• Desired collaborative, strategic framework to plan barrier remediation
• Develop watershed-scale plans to improve freshwater connectivity for target species
  • Identify partners and roles
  • Focus geographic scope of the work
  • Quantify the current connectivity status of the watershed
  • Set goals for gains in connectivity
  • Prioritize barriers and associated costs required to meet goals
  • Action plan with assigned responsibilities, including additional conservation actions

Watershed Connectivity Remediation Plans (WCRPs)

• Adapted from international Conservation Standards framework
• “Thematic” plan addressing explicit threat of physical, localized barriers that can be directly remediated
• Can used as a “module” in broader watershed-scale conservation or restoration plans
• Focus on priority barriers, account for context with other threats and diminishing returns
• Living documents, iteratively updated over time

Engagement and Collaborative Planning

Engage local partners (across sectors) through planning workshops:

• Avoid hit-and-run conservation
• Develop grassroots ownership and buy-in for plan
• Ensure local context and priorities are captured
• Support local Indigenous capacity building

Flexibility and Customizeability

• Build on existing local work and initiatives
  • e.g., great data/modelling work underway by AEP, ABMI, AWC3, Foothills Stream Crossing Partnership
• Integrate with other tools, not replace
• Incorporate Indigenous and local knowledge
• Can be customized to various:
  • Target species (and life histories)
  • Habitat mapping/modelling
  • Connectivity indicators
  • Barrier types (e.g., account for dams, rail-stream crossings)

Quantify Connectivity Status

• Modelling to define the current “connectivity status”
• Allows each barrier to be measured against all other barriers in a watershed context

Quantify Connectivity Status

Define Key Ecological Attributes (KEAs) and Indicators:

Barrier Types

• Identify and rate barrier types
• Decision-support tool to focus action planning

Goal Setting

Situation Analysis

• Brainstorming exercise to map out the effects, contributing factors, and potential actions

Strategies and Actions

Barrier Prioritization

Barrier Prioritization

Hybrid prioritization approach → evaluate ‘sets’ of barriers together to maximize habitat gains

Barrier Prioritization

Cost Estimates

Alberta Pilot Project

• Submitted proposal to CNFASAR in partnership with AEP
• Apply framework in Berland-Wildhay watershed
  • Focus on Athabasca Rainbow Trout and Bull Trout
• Check out the WCRP Guide Document for more info